


For the First Time

by Akiko_Natsuko



Category: Free!
Genre: Best Friends, Declarations Of Love, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Love Confessions, M/M, Romance, Tumblr Ask Box Fic, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-07
Updated: 2016-06-07
Packaged: 2018-07-12 22:01:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7124071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akiko_Natsuko/pseuds/Akiko_Natsuko
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They had always been friends...and something more, but it takes a long time for Haru to understand why everything is always different when it comes to Makoto. Written for the 'Fanfic I won't write meme' on Tumblr.</p>
            </blockquote>





	For the First Time

Disclaimer: Free! and its characters don't belong to me, I'm just borrowing them.

FrFr

   Makoto had always been there, either right beside him when they were walking anywhere, pressed up against his back when the more timid boy had been frightened by something, or within reach. It had been that way since they had first met back in Kindergarten, and Makoto had insisted on stretching out his hand towards Haru who had been carefully keeping himself apart from the other children…he had tried to do the same with the shy, green-haired boy who had held out a hand and offered him friendship, but there had been something about the other boy that had gradually lowered his barriers and by the time he realised what was happening they had become inseparable.

   He often heard people in their neighbourhood and their parents commenting on how close they were…what good friends they were, although at the same time they often seemed to question how children who were so different personality-wise could be best friends. Makoto had grown bolder with age, although he was still a scaredy-cat about many things, his bright smile and easy going nature drawing people to him, like moths to a flame. Haru in a way had got worse with age, with the exception of Makoto who he couldn’t get rid of even if he wanted to, he refused to let others too close, especially after what had happened with Rin and he used his love of water and Makoto to keep the world at bay. Yet despite that, they were close…but deep down Haru had long since realised that it went beyond mere friendship, but he had no idea what else to call what lay between it and so he left it as friendship.

   The recreation of their school’s swimming club had been an eye-opener in many ways…Makoto had stepped easily into the role of captain, and despite himself Haru had found his boundaries coming down and letting more people in…that change only serving to highlight the fact that there was something more to his friendship with Makoto. There was something else there when he looked at Makoto, or when the other boy instinctively knew what he was trying to say even if he couldn’t get any words out…something that he didn’t feel towards the others, and it began to bother him that he didn’t have a clue what that difference was.

   Everything came to a head on their training camp…he had been worried about the idea of Makoto being near the sea from the beginning, no matter how much the younger boy had tried to reassure him that he was fine. Realising that it was Makoto…sweet, frightened Makoto who had gone out to try and help Rei and was now in difficulties, had terrified him in a way that nothing else ever had. He hadn’t stopped to thing, the other’s words of warning washing over him as he took to the water. He knew that Rei was out there as well, and was probably in more trouble but he couldn’t focus on the younger swimmer, trusting Nagisa to take care of it, his thoughts focused on Makoto.

   It had been when they had reached the safety of the beach that he realised the other teen wasn’t breathing, and for a moment everything had frozen. _Makoto_ …He had never felt that frightened before, and there had been tears on his cheeks as he’d leant down, determined not to let the other boy slip away. Determined to save him. His lips had been less than an inch away when Makoto had taken a desperate breath, curling in on himself as he gasped for air and it was as wide, frightened green eyes rose to meet his, that for the first time he had his answer…he knew what was different, and there were tears of a different sort on his cheeks now as he forced himself to wait for Makoto to regain his breath.

   As soon as the taller teen was strong enough to push himself upright, Haru moved, throwing his arms around Makoto with quiet desperation and burying his face against his shoulder. There were worried words from above him, but he couldn’t bring himself to focus on anything but the new understanding coursing through him, as he struggled to get his voice to work and when he succeeded it came out as little more than a whisper.

“I love you…I love you…”


End file.
